The Top 10 Highest Paying Tech Careers for 2023
Written by Princess Wilson
Tech professionals are, without a doubt, one of the highest-paid individuals in the world. This is, of course, in response to the world being powered by technology at a massive scale. Hence, there’s a need to build, develop, design, and maintain these technologies.
Hence, as technology spreads into every field and industry, IT professionals are no longer being sought-after by just tech companies but by agricultural, medical, and financial organizations, just to name a few. If you’re considering making a career switch or just curious about what jobs pay the most in IT, we have compiled a list of the top careers you should be looking for this year and their average yearly income.
1. Cloud Architect — $155,659
With cloud services becoming more mainstream and being used by organizations and individuals across the globe, the need for cloud architects has skyrocketed accordingly. The primary job of a cloud architect is to design, analyze and optimize cloud networks. They implement an organization’s cloud computing strategy and ensure it is implemented.
Hence, they must have extensive knowledge of cloud infrastructure, programming languages like Python, cloud platforms like Amazon Web Services (AWS), IT administration, and engineering. Successful cloud architects usually start by being cloud administrators or analysts, gathering enough experience before becoming cloud architects.
2. Data Scientist — $145,529
Data scientists are one of the most sought-after professionals in the world, and for good reasons too. Today’s world is fuelled by data; when analyzed and managed, this data can help organizations make strategic decisions that can grow their businesses.
Data science is an advanced career path that involves sourcing, cleaning, analyzing, and managing immense amounts of data to discover actionable insights that can move industries forward. These professionals also create data models and algorithms to predict outcomes, making it a very statistics and math-heavy position.
Generally, data scientists don’t come from an IT background but transitioned to IT via a scientific field. They are usually skilled at data-based programming languages, statistical analysis, pattern recognition, and crunching huge data.
3. Applications Architect — $140,000
The role of an applications architect is to design, optimize and develop new solutions. These solutions are then coded and tested by developers. Applications architect is an advanced role, usually held by highly experienced professionals who have developed themselves by working in the industry for some years and honing their skills. In fact, they tend to lead teams of engineers and developers.
An ideal applications architect who would be sought-after by many recruiters would have a firm knowledge of programming languages like Python, Java, and C++. They would also possess hard skills like load balancing and scaling and soft skills like leadership and communication.
4. DevOps Engineer — $133,275
DevOps engineers are among the highest-paid professionals across tech and other fields. They function partly as IT specialists and as project managers. They write test units, review code, help create bridges of communication between multiple teams and run a network of Git and Jenkins. They are responsible for system administration, DevOps toolchains, and infrastructure management.
To thrive in this field, you’d need engineering and IT experience, experience supporting CI/CD processes, and an understanding of CI/CD applications and systems. In recent times, the demand for these professionals has risen significantly, translating to higher pay.
5. Artificial Intelligence Engineer — $131,490
Thanks to the power of cloud technology, Artificial intelligence (AI) has gone from being an expensive technology to utilize to being implemented in several ways in a few years. Today, it is now used to detect fraud and power self-driving cars at scale.
An AI engineer’s primary function is to understand and improve AI technologies and deploy them into new fields. To do this, they require an understanding of R and Python, AI-specific processes like Machine Learning, and IT. AI engineers are usually data scientists and software developers whose day-to-day activities involve training AI on data sets and improving their accuracy, developing AI systems, and troubleshooting unexpected results with AI.
6. IT Security Manager — $128,832
One of the major challenges faced mostly by businesses is the threat of hacks or leak from their systems. Hence, IT security managers are needed to both proactively ensure the security of IT infrastructure and protect the business in the event of security threats.
IT security managers usually have extensive knowledge of cloud-based security threats, the Internet of Things, the web, and on-premise. They must also keep up with current security threats and modern security practices. One major con of this career is that it can translate to long work hours as it’s an “always-on” job. However, for a salary of $125,739 per annum, it might be a fair deal.
7. Product Manager — $127,913
While it may be a relatively new field, product managers are among the highest-paid tech professionals worldwide. Their key job description is to oversee every area of a project, taking it from idea to launch while ensuring it aligns with customers’ needs.
Product managers often spend their day researching, creating designs, testing prototypes, and finding bugs. They often use tools like JIRA, Asana, and PivotalTracker to manage products. Product management is a very diverse role that requires a firm grasp of technology, business, and UX design. Additionally, soft skills like time management are pivotal to the success of a product manager.
8. Mobile App Developer — $120,116
Over the past decade, we have witnessed several significant advancements in technology that have increased mobile applications. Today, tons of companies worldwide either have apps or are developing one. Additionally, many developers also create their apps and put them on the market, making it a very lucrative field.
Mobile app developers design, develop and implement different kinds of mobile applications. They usually specialize in either iOS, Android, or Windows and have a broad understanding of Java, Python, C++, front-end app development, React.js, and jQuery. They also have a general knowledge of UI and UX design.
9. Computer and Information Research Scientist — $119,528
Computer and information research scientists are one of the most tasking career paths out there. However, it comes with fantastic pay, especially if you’re well-experienced.
Primarily found in the science and medical fields, these professionals work to improve software and hardware systems across their organizations. Using complex algorithms, design computer architecture and programming languages, they work to create new ways to optimize existing and future technologies.
10. Software Developer — $108,073
Software developers are one of the most known professionals in tech, mainly because it’s the common entry point for those that want to build a career in technology. They are generally responsible for building, programming, designing, and maintaining software.
Additionally, they assist in building software systems that power devices and networks while ensuring that those systems remain functional. They create many of our everyday applications, like games and websites.
Software developers are usually skilled in SQL, JavaScript, and Java. They also possess soft skills like communication and problem-solving abilities.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know 10 of the highest-paying jobs in IT for 2023, how do you actually land these roles? Thankfully, IT careers are pretty straightforward. Start by acquiring a four-year technology degree or attending a 4–6 months boot camp such as Fellowship at The Bulb.
Next, secure an internship or entry-level position by actively applying on job sites like Indeed and LinkedIn. As you begin to work, create a portfolio to document your projects and achievements. Furthermore, to give you a boost, consider getting a certification from an accredited body like Microsoft, depending on your specialization.
Finally, our Career Advance program is your best bet if you’re already working in IT and would like to improve your skills and advance to any of these roles. The program offers an immersive learning experience with courses like Data Science, SQL, and Scrum to elevate your career in a few months.